Latest news with #DavidColemanHeadley
New Indian Express
2 days ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Under strict jail manuals, court allows 26/11 plotter Rana one phone call to family
NEW DELHI: A Delhi court on Monday granted permission for Tahawwur Rana, an accused in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, to speak to his family members via a one-time phone call. Special Judge Chander Jit Singh of the Patiala House Courts allowed the request under strict conditions. The call must follow the jail manual and will take place under the supervision of Tihar Jail authorities. The court also requested a fresh report on Rana's health, which must be submitted within 10 days. In addition, the judge directed jail authorities to file a report clarifying whether Rana should be allowed regular phone calls going forward. Rana, a 64-year-old businessman of Pakistani origin who holds Canadian citizenship, is currently in judicial custody. He was extradited to India after the US Supreme Court, on April 4, rejected his review plea against the extradition order. Rana is known to be a close associate of David Coleman Headley (also known as Daood Gilani), the main conspirator behind the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks and a US citizen. The Delhi Legal Services Authority appointed Advocate Piyush Sachdeva to represent Rana in the proceedings. According to the NIA, David Coleman Headley, the key conspirator, had shared details of the entire plan with Rana before coming to India. Expecting possible problems, Headley had also emailed Rana with information about his personal belongings and assets. The agency further claimed that Headley told Rana about the role of two Pakistani nationals, Ilyas Kashmiri and Abdur Rehman, who are also accused of being part of the plot. On November 26, 2008, ten Pakistani terrorists entered Mumbai by sea and carried out a deadly coordinated attack. They targeted a railway station, two luxury hotels, and a Jewish centre. The attack lasted nearly 60 hours and killed 166 people. The court has imposed stringent conditions on the custody of Rana, as the NIA had pressed forward with its explosive claim: that Rana may have conspired to orchestrate terror attacks in cities beyond Mumbai.
Indian Express
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
26/11 Mumbai terror attack: Tahawwur Rana sent to Tihar till June 6
A Delhi court Friday sent 26/11 Mumbai terror attack accused Tahawwur Hussain Rana to Tihar Jail till June 6. Delhi's Patiala House Court sent Rana to judicial custody after he was produced before special National Investigation Agency (NIA) judge Chander Jit Singh a day before his custody with the NIA ended. Last week, the NIA had collected Rana's voice and handwriting samples before the judge. Rana, a close associate of 26/11 main conspirator David Coleman Headley, was brought to India on April 10 after his extradition from the United States. On April 11, the court sent Rana to NIA custody for 18 days. On April 28, the court extended his custody by 12 days. According to the agency, Rana had also played a key role in similar terrorist plots across India. According to the NIA, Rana was also involved in planning future attacks in India and had met LeT operative Abdur Rehman in Dubai ahead of the Mumbai terror attacks. Rana is accused of aiding and abetting the reconnaissance carried out by LeT scout David Coleman Headley, with whom he went to school in Pakistan, for the 26/11 attacks and of participating in the conspiracy by providing crucial logistical support to the attackers. He was arrested in Chicago in 2009, months after the Mumbai terror attacks in November 2008, in which 166 people were killed. While senior advocate Dayan Krishnan and Special Public Prosecutor Narender Mann represent the NIA before Patiala House Court, legal aid counsel Piyush Sachdev and Lakshya Dheer appeared for Rana.
Time of India
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Operation Sindoor: Pakistan exposed over Sajid Mir terror links and FATF grey list deception
NEW DELHI: In a cat-and-mouse game of global deception, Pakistan 's shifting narrative on Sajid Mir left it exposed, as pointed out by Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri on Wednesday, and left the world questioning the country's claims of combating terrorism. Once claimed to be a non-entity, Mir was abruptly declared dead in a brazen attempt to shield him from accountability. Operation Sindoor 'Op Sindoor's precision & execution was unimaginable': Rajnath Singh Operation Sindoor: India repels drone, missile attack across LoC Operation Sindoor: Several airports in India closed - check full list The truth eventually caught up, and Mir was 'arrested' by Pakistan's authorities, exposing the Pak govt's long-standing charade. As the veil of secrecy lifted, the world got a glimpse into the shadowy world of state-sponsored terror, where 26/11 plotters like Mir operated with impunity and the Pak govt played a game of denial and deception. According to sources, the acceptance of Mir's existence was a desperate attempt by Pakistan to get out of the grey list of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), an intergovernmental entity which tracks terror financing and money laundering. Mir was, on paper, lodged in central jail, also known as Kot Lakhpat jail in Lahore, after being 'sentenced' for eight years by an "anti-terrorism court" of Pakistan on charges of terror financing. He was detained in April 2022 in a hush-hush affair while the prison term was awarded in June just before a meeting of the FATF. Mir, who has a five million dollar bounty on his head announced by the FBI, is wanted even by the US govt. The FBI described Mir as someone who once wore a beard and hair down to his shoulders. He, according to the FBI, altered his appearance through plastic surgery. The US has held Mir responsible for directing preparations and reconnaissance and being one of the Pakistan-based controllers during the 26/11 attacks. Additionally, Mir conspired to commit a terrorist attack against a newspaper and its employees in Denmark between 2008 and 2009. Mir, who would currently be in his early 50s, was LeT's foreign recruiter and the main handler for American terrorist David Coleman Headley, alias Dawood Gilani. A US Justice Department document mentions how the 26/11 attackers were in real-time telephonic contact with Mir and his associates, Abu Qahafa and Mazhar Iqbal , during the attack. On Mir's advice, Headley, then based in Pennsylvania, changed his given name of 'Dawood Gilani' to 'David Coleman Headley' in order to facilitate his activities on behalf of Lashkar by enabling him to present himself in India as an American who was neither Muslim nor Pakistani.
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First Post
07-05-2025
- Politics
- First Post
Osama bin Laden-funded Markaz Taiba, which trained Ajmal Kasab, destroyed in Operation Sindoor
In this screenshot from @MEAIndia via Youtube on May 7, 2025, a map showing the terrorist camps struck as part of 'Operation Sindoor' in Pakistan and PoK, being displayed during a press conference, in New Delhi. PTI The Indian armed forces executed Operation Sindoor, a high-precision, 25-minute military offensive targeting nine terrorist facilities across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in the early hours on Wednesday. Among these targets was Markaz Taiba, the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) training compound in Muridke, Punjab, – a site infamous for its direct link to some of the worst terror attacks on Indian soil, including the 26/11 Mumbai carnage. The operation came in response to the Pahalgam terror attack of April 22, which claimed the lives of 26 civilians, including several Nepali nationals. Intelligence traced the origins of the attack to LeT and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) factions operating from across the border. What followed was a coordinated assault by India's army, navy and air force showcasing unprecedented synergy and firepower. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Fall of Markaz Taiba Among the key targets destroyed was Markaz Taiba, often described as the ideological and operational nerve centre of Lashkar-e-Taiba. Located in Nangal Sahdan, Muridke, this complex had for years operated with impunity producing jihadists under the guise of religious education. Founded in 2000, Markaz Taiba enrolled around 1,000 students each year in a range of courses blending religious indoctrination with paramilitary training. From firearms and explosives handling to psychological conditioning, the centre functioned as a terror boot camp. It held advanced facilities for arms training, radicalisation and dawa'h (preaching), all sheltered under the legitimising veneer of a madrasa. Crucially, it was here that Ajmal Kasab, the lone surviving attacker of the 2008 Mumbai attacks, was trained in 'Daura-e-Ribbat', an intelligence and operational training programme. The Markaz has also hosted key figures like David Coleman Headley and Tahawwur Rana, who helped orchestrate the 26/11 attacks. They visited the site under instructions from LeT's military chief Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi with logistical assistance from Abdul Rehman Sayed @ Pasha and others. The facility was also partly funded by Osama bin Laden, who reportedly donated Rs 10 million to build a mosque and guest house within the complex. The financial link between Al Qaeda's founding leader and LeT only demonstrated the global jihadist nexus converging at Muridke. Strategic, symbolic and psychological victory The obliteration of Markaz Taiba is more than just a tactical win. It is a symbolic dismantling of a terror ideology that has haunted India for over two decades. As a hub that churned out thousands of radicalised individuals annually, its destruction sends a powerful message not only to terror outfits but also to their sponsors and sympathisers in the Pakistani establishment. The Indian government, through Operation Sindoor, has made it clear that state-sponsored terrorism will not go unanswered. With Rafale jets deploying SCALP missiles and AASM Hammer bombs, the strike was both technologically superior and surgically executed. Pakistan's denial and diplomatic backlash Predictably, Pakistan downplayed the nature of the sites hit, claiming that 26 civilians, including women and children, were killed. It labelled the action an 'act of war' and resorted to cross-border shelling. The international reaction was swift. The United Nations called for restraint, while the US and China urged dialogue to prevent escalation between the nuclear-armed neighbours. Airlines began rerouting flights signalling the region's volatility and the global implications of unchecked terrorism. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD A turning point Operation Sindoor signifies a turning point in India's counterterrorism doctrine. It marks a shift from reactive diplomacy to proactive precision. The destruction of Markaz Taiba stands as a testament to India's resolve in uprooting the roots of terror even across hostile borders. Beyond military success, the operation opens new geopolitical dialogues on the rules of engagement, sovereignty and accountability. It also places Pakistan's duplicity under international scrutiny — especially its support for LeT despite repeated denials and global proscription of the group. While the destruction of Markaz Taiba is a critical milestone, it is unlikely to spell the end of Pakistan-based terror altogether. However, the loss of its most iconic facility is a crushing blow to LeT's logistical and recruitment capabilities. The psychological impact on operatives, sympathisers and backers cannot be overstated. For India, the elimination of the site where Ajmal Kasab and others were trained is a form of delayed justice. For the world, it's a stark reminder that no haven for terrorism should ever feel secure again.
Deccan Herald
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Deccan Herald
26/11 Mumbai attack: Delhi court allows NIA to record Tahawwur Rana's voice, handwriting samples
Rana, a close associate of 26/11 main conspirator David Coleman Headley alias Daood Gilani, a US citizen, was brought to India after the US Supreme Court on April 4 dismissed his review plea against his extradition to India.
